Untitled

Auckland Star, Volume IX, Issue 2519, 22 April 1878, Page 2

The number of inmates of the Provincial Lunatic Asylum at the present time is 120 men and 61 women.

The Easter feast of the resurrection of our Lord was celebrated yesterday at St. Patrick's Cathedral. High mass was held at 11 clock, celebrant, Rev. Father Macdonald ; deacon, Rev. Father O'Dyer ; subdeacon, Rev Father Grange, who also assisted at solemn vespers at eventide.

The Hibernian Band water-excursion, to take place to-morrow Tuesday, is likely to be largely patronised. The Takapuna, which has been chartered by the shareholders, will leave tho wharf at exactly 8 o'clock, unless the weather should prevent. The band will perform a number of new tunes on the occasion.

A most revolting case of cruelty was witnessed by a few helpless passers by in Grey-street this morning. A very wearylooking horse was attempting to draw a heavy cart of furniture up hill, but finding it too much, stopped occasionally. This seemed te exasperate his inhuman master, who leaping out of the cart with a thick, heavy stick, rained vicious blows over the head' and eyes of the unhappy animal for nearly ten minutes. Of course noac;ho and intelligent constable was about. We learn from Mr Smith, fruiterer, of Queen-street, that tiie fellow who palmed off' a spurious sovereign on his daughter, purchased a pound of applrs. Another respectable citizen was cheated iv the same manner on Saturday, and he tendered the coin in payment of his beer at one of the hotels. The suspicions of the barman were aroused, and he submitted the coin to the inspection of several bystanders, v.-ho unanimously pronounced in spurious. "' lie police are on tne look-out for the sharj ji;s. Mj Stephen Massett drew,large an :ienccs at Oamaru.

Madame Marie MSller and her daughter Miss Annie was very successful in tho Promenade Ballad Concerts at Wellington. They visit Dunedin.

Sir John Cracroft Wilson, at his late speech, in which ho remarked that if " elected" he would donothing "dirty," had an audience of twelve to listen to him ; and one of tho late comers called out, somewhat "sarkastikally" as poor Artemus Ward would remark—" I say, old feller, why didn't you bring your " flute ?" In consequence of the liberality of the public and Mr Crowthcr in the case of Mrs Lampra, the proposed concert for the widow's benefit will be given iv favour of Mrs McConchio (or McConkie), whose husband met with the accident which caused his death, on the 3rd inst., at Gorman's works Parnell ; Mrs McConkie being in destitute circumstances. Two members of the amateur company of performers and minstrels visited the widow yesterday at her home in Water-street, Mount Eden, and found her and her five small children, the youngest a baby in arms, in absolute distress. The troupe therefore, have resolved to give the concert on or about the 10th May, for the benefit of this distressed family. The particulars of the concert will appear iv a future issue of tho Stak.

It has been decided to admit the children of the district schools to the circus, when under the charge of their teachers, for ls. each in the afternoon only.

Tho several English Churches of St, Paul's, St. Sepulchre's, aud St. Matthew's were pleasantly and artistically decorated yesterday ; and suitable sermons wero preached by the respective clergymen.

A special meeting of the Onehunga Borough Couucil, for the purpose of settling the Burgess List, will be held on Wednesday evening.

Mr Basstian, the Auckland chiropodist, informs farmers and pedestrians who have to do with grain and toe-corns, that he may be found at the Anchor Hotel, aud is prepared to extract the throbbing thorns of nature from their cosy recesses, with comparatively little pain. A little patience at small cost, will effect a perfect cure under the hands of Mr Basstian.

We have been requested to acknowledge the receipt of £2 3s, collected by Mr Stanford, of the York Hotel, Newton, on behalf of Mrs McConkie.

Onr own correspondent at Hamilton writes :—lu the matter of the statement reported in your paper of the 15th inst. that the Ngatiraukawa and Ngtihaua chiefshad informed the Native Minister that the Tamahere reserve had dwindled down from 1,000 to 800 acres, I have been requested by Captain Steele to inform thepublic, through the medium of your valuablo paper, that not a single acre of such reserve has passed into the hands of the Piako Swamp Company, the purchasers of the lots sold being xMessrs Pearson, Martin Bros., Leslie, S. S. Graham, Douglass, and others.

The- annual soiree and public meeting of the' Pitt-street Wesleyan School will be held to-morrow (Tuesday) evening. Tea on the tables at half-past six o'clock. At the meeting to follow, Mr T. McMaster will preside, and speeches will be made by Revs. T. Buddie, R. Taylor, and Messrs Martin and Salter.

There were fully 500 persons present at the Theatre services last evening, the addresses were delivered by Rev. R. Taylor and Mr. Wills, one of the students of the Theological College, Three Kings. Our statement a few week ago to the effect that if every attendant contributed one penny, the expenses of the Theatre would be met, seems to have been taken too literally. This would be perfectly true if ALL contributed ; but, seeing that many people pass the box without any contribution —the pennies of the remainder do not amount to much, as will be seen from the fact that only 17s. 6d. was found in the boxes yesterday.

F-jMiss Ross, the Taeiri "fasting gbl"Jis believed to be dying,'

The following was the score in the pigeon match at Pokeno on Saturday last :— Bishop. 2 22 2222 20222022,26; Henderson, 120000220002220,13. The company afterwards partook of an excellent lunch provided by Mr Porter, of the Queen's Redoubt Hall, at which about 30 gentlemen were present. A sweepstake was then fired for, in which there were eleven competitors, each being allowed four birds. Mr R. Wynyard won with the full number of points; Messrs Middleton and McGregor Hay scoring only one pointless. Sir, —Can you inform me through your widely-spread journal, t if it is a fact that the newly-arrived Circus people are purchasers of live cats and dogs to feed the hyenas, and if so, to whom am I to apply ? I shall be glad to contract to supply a quantity of each. I can get no sleep at night through my neighbours' tomcats. I think I could spot at least seven of these ; while if I took a nocturnal walk, I believe in one street alone I could lasso about thirteen vagrant dogs. If a few of my friends would go and do likewise, we might rid the City of a great niiisauce, and there would be no more sleepless nights.—Yours etc., A Victim to CaterwaULLlNG.— [Our correspondent should consult the business manager. The story of his wrongwill awaken a sympathetic throb in the breast of many a fellow-sufferer. If the Circus proprietors only forward his philanthropic project, their visit will be held in grateful remembrance. —Ed. E.S.) To the Editor : Sir,—For the information of those who have bought promoters' shares in the Black Reef Extended Gold Mining Company, now being floated, allow me to say that the whole of the ground formerly held by the Black Reef, and the Coromandel Companies, is now tho property of the "Black Reef Extended." Whether or not the directors of the old Companies know anything about it, I cannot say. Perhaps now they know that application for a tribute lias been made to the new Company, may be working them up to a sense of their late —well, say remissness. Anyhow, I suppose Mr llaiidcrson, who is floating the new Company, will bo able after the holidays to explain the matter more fully than I can, thus set your contemporary's correspondent right—Constant Reader. The "Bay of Plenty Times" welcomes the arrival of Mr and Mrs Percival Crane, who came out by the Fontinaye to settle at Katikati. Mr and Mrs Crane were received on arrival by a number of the Vesey Stewart settlers. A correspondent of the same journal comments in strong terms on the proposal to adjourn the Makctu Native Land Court, and says t _it until Sir George Grey visits the district the Government will" meet with nothing but opposition, as " the natives will give in to him but to no one else."

Bishop Barker, of Sydney, has caused considerable scandal iv religious circles by marrying, in his 67ih year, a dashing young woman of 32. Only a few months previously he had buried his former wife, whose graveside he had quitted with the words "Farewell till the resurrection !" The Bishop's health had been a matter of deep solicitude to the ladies in Sydney, and they recommended a trip to recreate, and it was during his trip that ho became enamoured with the dashing belle of 32.

A cricket match between the Auckland Bell-toppers aud Thames Club took place at Parawai on Saturday, the former going in first at the wickets. In their first innings they obtained a total of 79 ; Mr Robinson heading the list with 89 ; A. Whitaker, 16 ; Lench and Hayr, 11; and Mumford, 10. In the second innings of the Belltoppers Lynch made the capital innings of*3o, and carried out his bat, Tattersall, also not out, adding 24 to the total of 59. The Thames team scored 116 in their first innings, and did not play a second, Young adding the splendid score of 50, a:ul carrying out his bat. Whitford also scored 34, when he succumbed to a ball from Lynch. The utmost good feeling existed between the rival teams, and a large number of spectators, including a sprinkling of the fair sex, witnessed the play. At Coromandel on Friday the Belltoppers were victorious in one innings, with 116 runs to spare. An inquest was held thi3 morning at the Provincial Hospital, before Dr. Goldsbro', on the body of Michael McElroy, who died on Saturday from injuries received by a fall from bis horse at Waiuku. Mr Win. Hogg, of Newmarket, was chosen foreman. The jury having viewed the body of deceased in order to its interment, the inquest was adjourned until Wednesday afternoon at two o'clock, the several witnesses uot being able to be present until that day. Sergeant Jackson represented the police. From the Ist instant to the 31st July the following native game may be hunted, shot, taken, or killed :—Wild duck, pied stilt plover, wild geese, dotterill, pigeons, teal, black stilt plover, curlew quail. The Australian Telegraph Comference has been postponed until the 9th May.

A man named John Lodder is supposed to have shot himself at Port LGvy near Lyttelton. Tho Christchurch players have secured the best position in the match against Dunedin.

At Tiinaru a man named William Taylor Baker, who had been drinking heavily, committed suicide by hanging on Saturday

night. The Italian Opera Concert Company will open at the Oddfellows' Hall, Wellington, this evening. We learn that typhoid lever of a malignant type has besn prevalent in tho neighbourhood of Newmarket for some time past, where the land is low and marshy. Within a very limited radius there have been three deaths from this disease within about as many months.

, On his arrival at Blenheim Sir George Grey was presented with an address, aud in reply expressed the intention of the Government to extend the railway into the town. After transacting official business, he addressed a public meeting at 8 o'clock. He referred to his own share in the early settlement of the district, and went ou to speak of the policy of the Government iv connection with the Land Fund, Land Act, representation, taxatiou, and the franchise. He stated that it was the intention of the Government to class the land for the purpose of taxation : 1, bad ; 2, tolerable ; 3, good—the tax to be an acreage tax. It would be necessary to frame a new land law, hedged round with restrictions to prevent gridironing and other similar evils. On the motion of Mr J. Ward, seconded by Mr G. Henderson, a vote of confidence was carried amidst loud applause. Sir George Grey left for Wellington. We leai n that a large number of tickets have been sold for the Free Templars' eutertainment this evening in the Lornestreet Hall. The proceedings will be of a very interesting character, consisting of comic and sentimental melodies, sober speech recitations, and what Sam thinks upon things in general. The concert will begin at eight o'clock, and dancing commences at half-past nine. Fun, merriment, and good order will characterise the proceedings throughout. The Orpheus String Band will perform several new pieces of music.

The anniversary sermons in the Pitt-street Wesleyan Church were weU attended yesterday. The morning service was conducted by Rev. R. Taylor, of the United Free Methodist Church, and that of the evening by Rev. D. W. Runciman, Presbyterian minister of Ponsonby. An inteiesting address was delivered to the young people iv the afternoon by Rev. D. Dutton, which was listened to with much attention. Tho choir and school assisted in singing a number of suitable hymns. The day's collections amounted to £26 5s 3d.

The cricket match between Bombay and Epsom was concluded on Saturday, Epsom scoring a total of 86 in the first innings, and 56 in the second, with 6 wickets to go down. Bombay scored 71 in the first innings. On the side of Epsom, Messrs Mears and Marsden were the top scorers with 24 and 21 respectively; while amongst the Bombayians, Mr D. Sheffield added 21, andW. Evans 13.

Mr Michael McElroy, who met with an accident at Waiuku by a fall from his horse on the 15th inst., died in the hospital oh Thursday evening. Mr McElroy was a man in good circumstances, and the owner of a farm at Pukekohe. On arriving at the hospital, every attention that medical skill could devise was given, but every effort to restore him to consciousness failed. Death, it is conjectured, resulted from injury of the spine or concussion of the brain. The deceased was a married man, but his wife was away at the time of the accident. It is reported that Captain Speedy wiU be appointed on the staff of Lord Napier, of Magdala. ._..,, During the six days Cooper and Bailey s circus was in Wellington, Messrs Woods, Crosbie and Co., butchers, supplied 1334 lbs of beef, and 239 lbs of fish. The " Now Zealand Times " of the 17th sll y S - : — " The Hon. Mr Sheehan is expected on Friday. {All the Ministers will be here in a few days, and it is probable that they will remain until the session, and will soon be busily engaged in preparing the more important Bills embodying their policy. The will doubtless include a Representation Bill, Native Land. Bill, and a Land Tax Bill.